The Robins, Lost Boys (and Girl) of Neverland
by Consulting Hunter Lord
Summary: This is a collection of many of their tales and adventures in Neverland. Of learning to fly, swimming with mermaids, playing with the Indians, battling pirates, falling in love...of death...of life. Of the beloved lost children...of the Robins of Neverland.
1. Chapter 1

All little children grow up. All except one. Or five, really. The lost boys (and one lost girl) were the buoyant little Robins of Never-Neverland, where mermaids dwelt in the cool waters; Indians roamed the wild land; fairies danced every night like fireflies in the forest; _pirates_ sailed and terrorized _all_. All except the five lost Robins, anyway. They found thrill in fighting the pirates and hunting with the Indians and floating in the water under the moon with the mermaids. Even the fairies liked them. Neverland was their home. They had found it and made it theirs, each and every one falling in love with it every day, over and over again.

The first one to find Neverland was also the oldest and the leader. His name was Dick Grayson. He was a boy of 9 when he discovered the land. He had dark hair that messy and pointed all different directions, eyes so blue the ocean frothed with jealously and a face far too lovely for his own mischevious good. He can't remember much of his life before, only that he came from the circus. Even then he hardly remembered what the circus was like. He _did_ know that he could twirl and leap through the trees and masts of the pirate ship as easy and effortlessly as he could with the trapeezes before, but his previous life was a mystery. Not that he cared to remember. Neverland was his home now. Neverland raised him. Neverland was his mother and father and friend. Neverland was _home._ He would stay here forever. Or so he thought... but he grew and grew and kept growing over seven long years. When he looked in his reflection on the water one day, he realized that it had changed and that childhood was slowly leaving him. Despaired, he cried and stomped and lashed at the reflection angrily and made a vow; he did not want to grow up. He wouldn't. He would keep his childhood and live in Neverland forever and ever. Neverland heard his wish and granted it, and during his seventeenth year, he simply stopped growing, and never aged another day.

Jason was the next. He had stumbled upon the land when he was a scrawny, lanky 11 year old. He had green eyes that could rival the emerald jewels of the pirates and he had dark auburn hair -with a peculiar (though not unflattering) white stripe in the front. He really can't remember old his life either. If ever he bothers to think about it, all he can remember is running. Running fast, running far, and running hard. He wondered why, once, but when he really thought about it, he decided he didn't care. He loved running. He loved jumping and climbing and crowing and fighting. He loved Neverland. And for all he cared, this was his _only_ life. This was all there ever was. There was never any doubt in his mind that he would stay just like Dick, forever and ever. So he let himself age for four short years (not daring to let himself grow as old as Dick had before he made _his_ vow) and was now a powerful young man of fifteen years old. Forever. And he liked it that way.

Tim came next, a very small (literally, _tiny_) boy of 9, just like Dick had been. He even had the same black hair as Dick. His eyes were also blue, but like the sky when the sun was shining bright. They even turned gray on an overcast day to match the clouds. Tim had no memories at all of any life before from the moment he entered Neverland, save his name and birthday. But living with Dick and Jay after they took him in made him happy, and he too found a home with the lost boys...the _Robins._Timmy aged for four summers, same as Jason, before he too decided to stop aging to stay a still relatively small, but spritely 13 year old. (Jason tells him there's no way he's older than twelve, but Tim knows. Tim _counted_.)

The next was unlike any of the rest of them before. This time, it was a _girl._ She was exactly 12 years old, blonde hair and sapphire eyes. She was hot headed and ready to tackle and fight any and all of the boys when they found her in their favorite tree. Her name was Stephanie. They boys wouldn't let her join them at first. She couldn't be a lost _boy_, they had said. It wasn't until she freed them from both the Indian's camp and saved their sorry butts from the plank and completely dominated a sword fighting match with the Captain that she earned her spot and extreme high respect with the Robins. She aged for two years during that time, and the moment she joined them, the _moment_ they told her it was possible, she stopped aging too, and stayed a bright and thrilling 14 year old.

The last and youngest of them was Damian, dark haired, dark eyed and dark skinned. Tim didn't like him much. To be honest, Damian didn't like Tim either. He had made that clear on the first day when he threw a rock at Tim. But Dick took pity on him, since he was only five at the time, and took him under his wing. Since he was so young, the time he spent in Neverland made him forget his past completely. Like Jason, this was all their was for Damian. Only...Jason had willingly left his memories behind. Damian couldn't remember another life if he tried. And the Robins had told Damian about never growing up, but since he was so young...Damian didn't exactly want to be the littlest forever. And he didn't want to need help every time they climbed a tree or battled a pirate. So five summers later, at 10 years old, Damian still grew yet.

Together they _thrived_ in Neverland, where the adventures, and the fun...and the danger never ended.

_This_ is a collection of many of their tales and adventures in Neverland. Of learning to fly, swimming with mermaids, playing with the Indians, battling pirates, falling in love...of _death_...of life. Of the beloved lost children...of the _Robins_ of Neverland.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm _bored_," Stephanie whined in her hammock overlooking the boys. Dick had been talking animatedly to Damian about the time he had battled and killed the pirate called Danny Zuko and Damian was listening with bright, wide eyes while Jason smirked and rolled his eyes as he sharpened his dagger. Tim was building a tiny fort out of sticks and pebbles and Stephanie...well, she had grown tired of Dick's story (which he had a habit of telling again and again and again) Personally, her story about slashing Wilson's eye out was f_ar _more interesting. Or even about Damian's lucky strike at the Captain's hand, which removed it completely. Jason had snatched it and, in a spark of brilliance, though Steph would never tell him that for fear of swelling his head, had thrown it to the crocodile in the sea below. Now the old Ghul-ie would forever be afraid of the reptile who ceaselessly followed him to devour the rest of his body.

But the pirates had retreated after they stole their treasure again this week, so provoking them was pointless while they were hiding and licking their wounds like animals. They had already played War with the Indians twice this week, and though she never got tired of hunting or being hunted in turn, she longed to find something new to do.

"Bored?" Dick gaped up at her, shocked. "How can you be _bored_? Neverland is too wonderful too be boring," he defended proudly.

"I'm not bored of Neverland, boy, I'm bored of _you_ and your overly told and _exaggerated_ tales," she muttered back, rolling her eyes.

"They're not exaggerated-" he began, but was cut off with a laugh from Jason.

"Don't even lie, we all know that the tale about the mermaid kissing you was just her trying to drown you when you weren't being careful," he snorted. Dick's cheeks turned pink and he scowled, and Tim couldn't hide an amused grin.

"Come on, I want to _explore_! I haven't been here as long as you guys, I want to see _everything_!" Stephanie insisted as she leapt out of the hammock eagerly. "Show me something exciting, Dick. Something new. Please, please, _please_?"

Jason halted his work and peaked up in interest. Tim crawled forward and craned his head to look up at Dick with a hopeful expression. Dick frowned thoughtfully and scratched his jaw as he tried to think of something he hadn't shown to them before... he could never pass up the chance to show off and impress his friends if he could help it. He wasn't about to start now, either; they wanted something new and exciting, Dick Grayson would deliver.

"Let's see, pirates and Indians are old, I've shown you the mermaids already, obviously, we've played in Blind Man's Bluff, I- oh!" his eyes lit up as brilliance struck him. "Have I ever taken you to see...the fairies?" he arched a brow deviously. Stephanie gasped and Tim scooted closer with an impressed "Oooh."

Jason scoffed and waved a hand in dismissal. "Pass. I've never seen them. They don't like big people, you know that."

"I _have _seen them though," Dick insisted, in which Jason's eyes popped and Damian retorted "No _way_/."

"Yes way, it's _true_," he nodded breathlessly. "It was before i found this tree, before Jason even got here, back when I was tiny like Tim-" Tim interrupted with an indignant retort that he _wasn't_ tiny, which Dick ignored. "I was exploring the woods one night, looking for a place to sleep because I had just made my grand escape from the pirates again. You had no idea how much fun I had that day, that was back when Ghul-ie's daughter and the Bat were still-"

"Dick!" Stephanie interrupted crossly. "Don't get sidetracked, you've told us about the pirates already, I want to hear about the fairies!" Damian snickered and muttered "What a _girl_," under his breath and earned a rough punch from the blonde.

"Alright, alright, sorry," Dick grinned, abashed. "Anyways, I was looking for a place to sleep for the night when I saw a little golden light," he recalled. "It was fast and just _flying_ through the branches. I decided to follow it and even though it _almost_ outran me, I was too quick," he stated proudly. "And it lead me to a meadow surrounded by big willow trees where there were even _more_ little lights. They were gold and red and green and blue and all _kinds_ of different colors just floating and dancing in the air around me, it was incredible!" he smiled in remembrance. "They didn't let me get much of a close look, if I got within two feet of any single one, they would dart off nd I would have to chase them again. But I did take a good, long look at them from the trees and the more I looked, the more I could see that the lights were actually tiny little pixies with glittering wings and pointed ears, wearing leaves and flowers as their clothes-"

"Oh, how pretty that must be," Stephanie grinned, resting her chin in her hand dreamily.

"It _was_," Dick nodded. "One of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. They danced all night under the moon and stars and when they finally got close enough to dance all around me, I can _swear_ to you that they lifted me off the ground. They let me _fly_ for just a few moments," he sighed in awe at the memory. "But not for long. I fell asleep watching them right there in the meadow. But when I woke up...they were gone," he frowned sadly. "I came back the next night, and the next, and the next. But...they never came back there. I haven't been able to find them since. I almost forgot about them, to be honest," he shrugged. "So thank you, Stephanie, for reminding me! If you guys want something new and exciting, we can go and find the fairies again," he suggested eagerly.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a _dream_, Dick?" Jason arched a brow skeptically as he leaned against his special corner of the wall.

"It wasn't!" Dick implored sternly. "And I can prove it. We're going to find them tonight, and I'll _show_ you."

"Yeah right, you only saw them _once_, Dick. It was a _dream_. Fairies probably don't even exist, and there's no _way _anyone can _fly_. We're never going to find them."

Dick's eyes glinted mischeviously and he smirked. "You wanna bet?" he grinned deviously.

"Is that a challenge?" Jason retorted, arching a brow in interest. Tim and Stephanie exhanged a knowing, humorous look and Damian snickered.

"I _know_ what I saw. And I know I can prove you wrong," Dick hummed in a sing-song voice.

Jason grinned, never one to back down. "I seriously doubt that, dickface. I think you just dreamed it up and made it into one of your stupid stories so you can show off again."

"I don't need to make up a story to show off how great I am, you see me in action every _day_," Dick retorted with a smirk. "I know the fairies are out there and we _will_ find them before the night is over. _And_...I'll get them to make me fly again. To make us _all_ fly."

"Oh yeah? And what if we don't find them?" Jason challenged, crossing his arms. "What if they're not real and you let us down? What if we never get to fly? You'll have gotten their hopes up for nothing," he gestured toward Tim, Stephanie and Damian, who were listening intently.

Dick bit the inside of his cheek and hummed in thought. "Then I'll stop telling my stories. Forever." he vowed. "I'll stop showing off, I'll stop exaggerating, I'll stop making things up."

"Do you hear that, guys? Dick is actually going to to deflate his head and become bearable after tonight," Jason jeered teasingly.

"That's _if_ we don't find them," Dick snapped, crossing his arms. "If we _do_ find them, though," his eyes glittered sneakily, "then _you_ have admit that I was right and that I am _always_ right from now on. You have to stop calling me dickface. _And_," he added, with one final glittering leer, "you have to swim naked in Mermaid Lagoon."

"What?!" Jason protested while Stephanie and Damian cackled beside them. "You want me to dive into Mermaid Lagoon _naked_? Those mermaids will kill me!" he complained.

"Nah. You always tell us you could out swim those fish ladies anyway, right?" Dick grinned broadly.

"I wonder what they think say if we told them you said that," Stephanie whispered deviously, which cause Jason to glare at her dangerously.

"Come on, what are you afraid of Jason?" Damian taunted. "You're so sure we won't find the fairies, what's the harm in taking the bet?"

"The fact that Jason has more consequences that Dick would if he lost the bet," Tim pointed out. "At the very least, Dick should have to jump into Mermaid Lagoon too, if he lost. That way there's equal stakes."

Dick groaned and pouted at Tim. "I thought you were on _my_ side," he sniffed, wounded. Tim shrugged and offered a shy smile. Dick stuck out his tongue and Jason winked at Tim, flashing a grateful thumbs up before turning back to Dick.

"So are we doing it? Loser has to jump naked into Mermaid Lagoon?" he stuck out his hand to shake. Dick sighed, refusing to back down from his own challenged and clasped Jason's hand with a determined smile.

"You are so on."

...

The sun had set hours ago, and the Robins had been searching for the fairies since dusk. It must have been early morning at this point. Dick carried Damian (who had passed out some time ago) on his back, Stephanie followed behind, yawning sleepily and Jason (fighting sleep like a champ) held Tim's hand, tugging the poor boy (who was practically asleep on his feet) gently behind.

"Dick, give up, it's almost dawn," Jason called, fighting a yawn. "Just admit it, there are no fairies. Let's go home and sleep and you can swim with the mermaids tomorrow."

"No!" Dick insisted pleadingly. "There here, I know they are. Let's just-...we have to find the meadow, I know we're close!"

Stephanie groaned between them and rubbed her eyes to keep the sleep at bay. "Dick, please, we've been searching all night. Damian's already out, Timmy's dead on his feet and I'm exhausted," she complained.

"No 'm not," Tim mumbled, barely conscious from behind Jason. Stephanie rolled her eyes.

"I'm giving you five more minutes, then I'm going back to the treehouse," she crossed her arms firmly. "So I better see some fairies _now_."

Dick grunted in frustration and shifted Damian to get a better hold as he looked all around him, hoping to spot even the tiniest little light. But there was none.

Jason smirked from behind as he leaned casually against a tree. "You know, I think we should burn your clothes while you're playing naked with the killer mermaids. That way you'll have to run around nude forever. Can you imagine prince Red Arrow hunting you and laughing to death when he discovers you in nothing but skin? Oh, or imagine fighting the p_irates_, that'll be a laugh," Jason snickered.

Dick grimaced and hung his head in defeat at the thought. What was the old saying he remembered about making his bed? ...Oh yeah. Now he had to sleep in it.

"Oh, look, the sun's starting to rise," Jason pointed out over the treetops. "Guess that means I win after all," he sneered. Tim rubbed his eyes and yawned tiredly. "You mean we actually spent all _night_ out here?" he whined.

"No way," Stephanie blinked in confusion. "It can't be dawn yet. It's late, but it's not _tha_t late. How is the sun already coming up?"

"It's not!" Dick cried out with a gasp of victory, causing Damian to jerk awake with a displeased grumble. "That's not the sun, that's the fairies! Look, it's not in the sky, they're just on the treetops!" he laughed and pointed with glee. "You can see them _moving_!"

Jason blinked in denial and squinted into the horizon in disbelief. But Dick was right; it wasn't the sun rising in the sky like he had thought. It was thousands and thousands of tiny lights mixed up together as they flew above the treetops.

"I guess you won't get to see my glorious ass after all. We all get to get _blinded_ by yours," Dick teased victoriously. Jason scowled and groaned in defeat.

"Come on, come _on_, let's get a closer look!" Stephanie shrieked eagerly, suddenly wide awake as she bolted ahead of the sleepy boys.

Damian hopped down from Dick's back with a 'thud' and Tim stretched and yawned widely. "We can't just let her go alone," he shrugged. Damian 'Tt"ed him and ran forward after the blonde eagerly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Dick replied, elated. "Come on Jay, what are you waiting for?" he giggled, before jumping onto a tree branch and twirling away like the acrobat he was. Tim looked up at Jason, smiling and shrugging passively before grabbing his hand and urging him forward as Jason did for Tim not five minutes before. Jason followed grumpily, but not without the same wonder and curiosity as the others. Just five minutes go, the fairies had just been a fable. And though it irritated him that Dick was actually /right/ for once, at least it was about something spectacular.

They both had to run to catch up to the others, especially Dick swinging through the trees like a stupid monkey. But when Jason and Tim finally caught up to Stephanie and Damian, Dick landed silently (which never failed to baffle Jason, and everyone else for that matter) in front of them and pressed a finger in front of his lips, whispering "Shhh," to quiet them.

"Be quiet," he instructed carefully. "No sudden movements. No loud noises. Don't startle them, okay?" he whispered. Stephanie nodded impatiently while the boys muttered in obedience. Dick nodded at the assent and finally let them tread through behind him as he lead them toward the flittering lights.

The meadow, when they finally entered it, was more beautiful than Dick had given it justice in his story. The grass was long and decorated with delicate flowers that rippled in the gentle breeze. There were weeping willow trees all around the clearing, dotted with millions of tiny little lights; red, green, blue, purple, orange, gold, pink, and every other color one could think of. They weren't dancing as Dick had described, but when Jason squinted, he could definitely see them twirling and flitting around like fireflies with shimmering wings and dress like leaves and flower petals and hair like fire and ice and vines. They were...

"Incredible," Stephanie whispered in awe, spinning around in the center of the meadow, trying to see all there was to see.

"I _told_ you," Dick smiled, sticking his chin out proudly.

"Dick...you were right," Jason admitted as wild, colorful lights flew before his eyes.

"I- wait what?" Dick's eyes widened as he turned to the second oldest.

"You were right. I can't just deny what's right in front of me," he replied, unable to meet the boy's eyes. "Besides, wasn't that one of my punishments?"

Dick grinned and laughed. "It was. I just never thought you'd actually admit it. You can jump in the Lagoon tomorrow, I'm willing to wait on that for now," he nudged him affectionately before returning his attention to the pixies floating above them. Jason sighed and shook his head, but couldn't help but pull his lips into a smile.

"Do you think they'll let us fly, like in your story?" Tim tugged on Dick's sleeve hopefully. Dick cast his eyes up to the little sprites and shrugged unkowingly. "I'm not sure. Look, they won't even come near us, I-"

"Oh, look at this one! She's so cute!" Stephanie giggled as the boys turned toward her. There in her hand, chewing on red raspberry stood an orange fairy with hair like fire.

"How...how did you _do_ that?" Dick gaped at her in awe.

"I picked some berries in the woods before we got here because I was hungry, and I guess she smelled them on me," Stephanie laughed. "They like food," she concluded.

The little orange pixie finished the berry and twinkled happily like a little bell. "Oh, and she says her name is Starfire," Stephanie, added.

"You can _understand_ them?" Damian's jaw dropped in amazement.

Stephanie shrugged. "All you have to do is listen," she replied before Starfire zoomed off her hand and circled around them all in a blinding flash of light.

"Where'd she go?" Dick asked, darting his eyes every which way to try and spot her again. Tim giggled and pointed at Dick's shoulder, where Starfire hovered, examining a strip of his long black hair. In another trail of light, she was tugging on Jason's white streak with an excited twinkle and then flittering right in front of Damian's nose.

"She's a bold little thing, isn't she?" Damian muttered, waving her away quickly. She stuck her tongue out at him before flying to rest on top of Tim's matted hair, twinkling furiously.

Tim belted out in laughter, nearly doubling over as he turned to the youngest. "Sh-she says that you're a b-big nosed elephant boy," he giggled. She twinkled merrily at the laughter that ensued, though Dick tried hard to suppress it. Starfire flew to Jason and twinkled animatedly by his ear.

"She also says," Jason grinned, "that you're as rotten as the inside of a pirate's-"

"That's not very nice!" Dick interrupted, unable to hold back a snicker. Starfire flickered immediately and began sparkling to Dick in a flurry of tiny words.

"I'm not a _girl_, my hair is just long," Dick protested. The other's had to double over because they were laughing so hard.

"I _like_ her," Jason grinned ecstatically. Starfire, tiny as she was, grinned very, very widely and flew over to him and nuzzled his nose happily.

"She says we humans aren't so bad ourselves," he translated easily.

"Guys! Look at the others, they're all...staring at us," Tim pointed above them. And indeed, all the fairies of all the different colors flew and floated around them, observing them flew up and tingled all around them animatedly.

"That's her family," Stephanie murmured in awe. "And they're all _listening_ to her, _look_," she exclaimed brightly. Indeed, the entire swarm of tiny lights gathered around Starfire as she spoke to them, turning and pointing to the children frequently. "She must be the leader or something. Oh! Sorry, she said _princess_," Stephanie arched her brows high in surprise.

"We got checked out by the princess of the fairies. How about that?" Jason exchanged a smirk with Dick.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "_Boys_," she muttered exasperatedly. "I wonder what they're talking about up there...it's too fast for me to understand now."

But before they could debate about it, Starfire's meeting seemed to end as thousands of fairies fluttered all around them and examined them just as Star did. The five Robins glanced at each other in amazement and the tiny beings played with their hair and wove between their fingers and poked at their clothes curiously.

"This is incredible!" Tim laughed elatedly. "I feel like-...like I'm weightless, like I'm-...Dick! I'm flying!"

"Me too! Timmy, look!" Stephanie shrieked as she looked to the ground far below.

"We _all_ are," Dick beamed as his story from before came to life. They were all _flying_. How impossible, how spectacular, how...gifted they were. Starfire buzzed in front of his face imploringly and landed on his outstretched hand.

"Yes, it's...wonderful. Thank you," he murmured. She waved him off, turning a little bit brighter orange and twinkled again bashfully. "Really? That's all it is? Happy thoughts?" Star twinkled loudly and jumped up pointedly in front of his face. "With your pixie dust, of course, I'm sorry," he chuckled shyly. Star nodded and ruffled his long hair fondly.

"Can we come visit you more often?" Stephanie asked as she floated weightlessly through the treetops. Starfire sparkled brightly and nodded.

"She says we can come to the fairies whenever we like...we're welcome any time," Tim translated giddily. "She also says that our flying could use some work and that we could use a bath," he added, earning a snicker from Jason and a twinkle of agreement from the other fairies.

"Fair enough," Stephanie laughed as they gently descended back to the ground below. "Do we know how to get back to the treehouse from here? Or back here from the treehouse? I don't want to forget how to come back," she frowned. "I want to come and fly again."

Starfire sparkled and twittered lively and Stephanie brightened. "She says we can fly anytime we want! We have the gift of fairy dust now, all we have to do is think happy thoughts!" she exclaimed in laughter as she began to float into the air with happiness once more.

"Thank you, Miss Star," Dick bowed in gratitude, Starfire covered her mouth in what was a tiny little giggle and Jason smirked at the corniness of the elder Robin.

"Come on, quit flirting with the princess, we have to get back home and go to bed. And maybe eat," Jason ordered as his stomach growled and sleep tugged at his eyes.

"Yeah, that's right. You have to be well rested for the skinny-dipping in the Lagoon tomorrow," Dick teased, shoving at the other boy playfully before calling out to the others to get ready to go.

"Just you wait, I'll get you back," Jason warned, waving goodbye to the fairies as they lifted into the air and flew above the treetops of Neverland back toward their treehouse. "Race you, dickface!"

"You are _so _on," Dick smirked, zooming after him.


	3. Chapter 3

Jason inched lowly to the cliff and peered over cautiously. He shivered when he saw the mermaids; two bathing themselves lavishly under the waterfall, one sprawled out on a boulder to warm up in the sun, three were playing some kind of game with a seashell and Jason was sure there were more underneath the surface. They were beautiful creatures, from far away; lovely in fact. But up close, Jason new how conniving and devious the stupid fish women were. Well...he can't say they didn't deserve it. The mermaids might have trusted them once, a long time ago, but the Lost Boys had thrown one two many rocks and pissed four or five too many times in their pure waters. Needless to say, the mermaids didn't like them so much.

He groaned in hesitation when one of them actually spotted him; she stared and squinted at him for a good half a minute or so before pointing and squealing to get the attention of her sisters, who each in turn glanced up and started laughing.

"What's the matter, Todd? Are you getting shy?" Damian snickered behind, where the rest of the robins stood clear of the edge of the cliff.

"Yeah, Jason, don't be a chicken. We'll have to push you if you don't go through with it," Dick called with a devious little wink. Jason scowled, but otherwise said nothing. He was not a scaredy cat. He lost the bet fair and square and now he was going to jump naked into the Lagoon like he promised...and try to fly away before the mermaids drowned him.

"Jason, don't," Tim pleaded with wide eyes. "This is stupid, you could get hurt! You don't have to listen to them!"

"Shut up, pipsqueak, or we'll throw you over too," Damian threatened, earning a snicker from Stephanie at the word 'pipsqueak,' which made Tim flush slight pink.

"Besides, he _has_ to jump, Timmy. You know the rules about backing out of a dare," Dick pointed out matter-of-factly. Jason's stomach lurched at the thought and Tim grimaced and nodded unwillingly. "If Jason doesn't go through with his punishment, he loses his honor and therefore his privilege as a Lost Boy. "But if you want to go with him to give him some encouragement, please, by all means," Dick stood aside and let Damian shove the boy forward. Tim squawked in fear and whimpered before Jason snarled at them and pushed Tim back.

"Lay off him! I'm going alright? Jeez," he grumbled, turning back to the cliff and sucking in a deep, uncertain breath.

"I think you're forgetting something, Jaybird," Stephanie sing-songed innocently. Jason frozed and groaned in discomfort.

"Does /she/ have to watch? She wouldn't let _us_ watch if _she_ jumped in naked," Jason griped as he yanked off the smock of a shirt.

"Says who?" Stephanie grinned mischeviously. "_I'm_ not afraid of being nude."

"Yeah, right," Jason muttered, throwing the dirty shirt in her face before finally stepping out of his trousers and kicking them back towards Tim. "Please don't let them burn my stuff," he instructed quietly. Tim, who's face was a little redder than usual, had to clear his throat and nod quickly as he stammered "O-okay." Jason didn't think much of it; he had much bigger problems on his mind. Like bearing the shrieks of either laughter or outrage from the mermaids below.

"You know," Stephanie hummed in appreciation from behind, now that she had finally removed the smock from her face. "You really don't look that bad," she smirked. "Not as pretty as Dick, but not bad."

"When have you-" Dick squawked in shock before Stephanie cut him off.

"Remember when the Indians had that 'super important chief ceremony' under the full moon and you sent us back home?" she grinned. The Lost Children laughed as Dick blushed scarlet. "Turns out his 'super important ceremony' was only dancing naked around a bonfire and smoking their peace pipe with-"

"O-_kay_, Stephanie, I think it's time to shut up now," Dick cut her off with an estranged smile and a hand clamped around her mouth (which she bit without hesitation, making Dick shriek).

"Hey, Steph, if I can snatch one of the Mermaid's shells for you, will you tell me the rest of that story later?" Jason grinned with glittering eyes. Stephanie lit up and Dick gasped, "You _wouldn't_!" Jason winked before taking two steps back and leaping forward for a running start until he dove headfirst right off the side of the cliff.

Jason hit the water not two seconds later, and he was engulfed in the stinging, cold darkness. He managed to thrash and twist enough to find his way to the surface and gasp wildly to catch his breath and steady enough to stay afloat. "Shit, it's cold!" he shivered, treading the water carefully as he swam out into the center. He could hear the laughter of his fellow robins above him and he stuck his tongue out between shudders. "Sh-shut up! I'd love to y_ou guys_ try and swim with your balls frozen solid!" He was sure Stephanie made some witty reply about not _having_ balls, but he couldn't hear her with the rush of water waving by his constantly by his ears. Not that he cared about her sarcasm much anyway. He rolled his eyes with a sigh before freezing when he heard five large splashes from across the lagoon. He turned just in time to see that the mermaids had dived in and were swimming very fast and very gracefully straight for him. He looked up at the top of the cliff where his four friends peered over to see and he flashed them a daring grin.

"Jason, _don't_, you'll never make it!" Tim pleaded anxiously as the mermaids swam ever closer to Jason's form in the water. Even Dick called out a warning of "That's all you had to do, don't be stupid-" But even if Jason c_ould_ hear them, their pleas would have fallen on deaf ears. He was a good swimmer, he could get passed the mermaids and snatch a stupid shell before flying away.

He sucked in a deep, preparing breath and dove once again deep beneath the surface, enough to swim right underneath his lethal, fishy opponents. He could hear them shriek at him from above, but didn't stop to listen since he was too busy swimming for his life. The mermaids got so close to him at one point that one almost managed to grab his ankle (which would have been very, very bad for Jason if she had succeeded. He would have been drowned on the spot), and by some miracle, just as one of them prepared to launch at him, he crawled up on their enormous boulder in the center of the Lagoon and snatched the biggest, prettiest shell centered at the very top. It was a huge blue and yellow one, shaped so smoothly and perfectly that it must have been crafted by the god of the sea himself. He gazed, lost in appreciation of it's smooth, colorful beauty for longer than he cared to admit. In fact, he would have been completely lost if Dick, Stephanie, Tim and Damian didn't start screaming at him from the cliff. It was only then that he realized the mermaids had already clawed their way up the rock and two of them had wrought, iron grips around his ankles.

"Come with us, sweet boy," cooed the one to his left, who had black, ebony hair dotted with sea stars and a necklace of luminescent pearls.

"Yes, come live with us, sweet, _beautiful_ boy, and we can make you many more shells as beautiful as that one," the one to his right with hair green as the Lagoon itself sang. "We can give you anything you like; riches and jewels, beauty, all our finest women lavishing you day and night under the sea."

Jason shook his head and kicked them away as he tried to snap out of the trances of their beautiful voices. "Sorry, girls, but you're not my type," he grinned. "But I will take just the one shell. Thank you," he bowed mockingly. The mermaid with the black hair screeched in anger and withdrew a coral dagger from underneath the water and raised it high over her head, preparing to strike at him. Jason's eyes widened and he cursed loudly before kicking out of her grip once more and jumping off the boulder immediately. The mermaids swiftly swam around to the other side where the boy must have fallen in, but saw no ripples and felt no disturbance in the water at all. They stared at each other in confusion before they heard a whistle right above their heads and looked up to see the infernal boy not a foot from their faces.

"Boo," he whispered with a nasty grin before splashing them and tearing off stark naked into the sky toward the cliff. The black haired mermaid screamed and wailed and cursed at him from behind and threatened to tear out his throat if he ever returned to the Lagoon. Jason ignored her spectacularly at her as he landed on top of the cliff, shell in hand and dripping proudly onto the grass.

"I'd like to see _you_ losers do that," he laughed breathlessly at their shocked expressions and tossed the beautiful shell to Stephanie easily. She caught it, but didn't smile at Jason a brightly as he hoped she would. Or at all, to be honest.

"What?" Jason frowned. "I wen't through all that trouble for you, why are you making that face?"

"It was _hers_," she nodded to the mermaid who was now weeping on the boulder, comforted by four or five of the others.

"So what?" Jason shrugged indifferently. "They tried to kill me and all you're worried about it one of their stupid shells that _you_ wanted?" he accused.

"It was _hers_. This is just any old shell, Jason. Maybe to us, but not to her," she snapped, gesturing toward the mermaid intently. "Give it back. Get me another one."

"No way. It's a pretty shell, if you don't want it, throw it back. Maybe then she'll stop screeching at us," he rolled his eyes and shook his head wildly to get the water out of his hair. "Tim, do you still have my clothes?" he asked. Tim, of course, still had them bundled up in his arms and was still clutching them tightly after the scene he had just witnessed. And honestly, after /that/, no one would have tried to burn them anyway. Jason ruffled the boy's hair fondly with a gruff "Thank's Timmy," before slipping them back on and sighing as he was covered once more.

Stephanie, however, hadn't moved an inch and just kept staring at the colorful shell in her hand. She couldn't just throw it back, that would be disrespectful. Not that stealing it in the first place was respectful to begin with, but... her heart ached to see the lovely mermaid crying like that. It must have been important to her. Stephanie sighed heavily, not happy about losing her beautiful souvenir and wary that the mermaids would try to kill her on spot for doing this and lifted herself weightlessly into the air.

"Brown, what are you doing?" Damian demanded. "Don't be _absurd_, she'll get over it. They're going to kill you if you go down there!"

Stephanie turned to the boys with a pointed look and rolled her eyes. "Nah. I'll be back in five," she smiled assuringly before leaping gracefully down the cliff and making her way gracefully toward the boulder where seven angry mermaids were giving her a death glare. She paused a good ten feet away with her hands up in surrender and floated cautiously straight toward the ebony haired one in the center.

"Come any closer and I'll slice your throat," a red haired mermaid snarled, coral dagger pointed at her readily.

Stephanie flinched hesitantly and paused. "I-...I'm sorry about my friend," she forced out through a very dry mouth. "We only dared him to jump naked into the Lagoon and...and he took it to far. He stole the shell for me," she admitted with a dark blush. "I didn't want him to hurt you and...I'm sorry. Here," she offered the shell humbly.

"It is a trick of some kind! Let me drown her," a white haired mermaid snarled, looking up to the ebony mermaid for permission. The ebony mermaid simply stared at the blonde cautiously before stretching out her webbed hand and taking the shell slowly.

"Why are you returning this?" she asked suspiciously. "You Lost Boys are beastie little creatures who do nothing but torment us. Why are you being so..._decent_ for once?"

Stephanie shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek. "We do not mean to be, well...mean. We just play these silly games and-"

"And aren't careful who you hurt in the process," she snapped, setting the shell in her lap gently without looking at the girl.

"I-...we're sorry," she murmured in shame. "We didn't know you valued the shells so much."

The ebony mermaid looked up at her funnily and even managed to snort a laugh. "This isn't just a shell," she shook her head. "Not that shells aren't important. They are symbols of beauty in my world. But this," she lifted the shell for her to see, "is a living creature. My dear friend and pet. He is a hermit crab," she smiled. Even as she said it, Stephanie could see little legs start to crawl outside the edge of the shell and she flew back several feet, startled.

"That's your..._pet_?" she tilted her head, observing in wonder. The ebony girl smiled and nodded.

"Thank you for returning him...after stealing him in the first place," she narrowed her eyes coolly. "For that, I will spare your life this time. But if you return here, we won't hesitate to kill you next time. Understood?" she glared dangerously.

"Yes," Stephanie nodded. "Before I go...what is your name?"

The mermaid frowned and tilted her head distrustfully. "Why would I tell you that?"

"Because, we tell stories of our adventures to each other and I want something to properly remember you by when I tell mine," she explained hopefully.

The ebony mermaid laughed and shook her head. "I am Cassandra, daughter of the sea. And what do I call you when I tell _my_ story?"

The blonde grinned and replied proudly, "Stephanie Brown, First and Only Lost Girl of Neverland, of course." And with that, she saluted the mermaids and flew off back toward the cliff to recall her tale excitedly.

Cassandra stared after curiously and shook her head. "Well that was odd," the green mermaid frowned.

"Yes, it was," Cassandra agreed stoically.

"I don't like her," the red head stated in distrust. "I didn't even know she was a girl. It's a shame those boys got their hands on her before we could."

"What do you think, my lady?" the white mermaid asked.

"I think..." Cassandra murmured thoughtfully, "that maybe there is hope for the beasties after all."


End file.
